Atari CX-2600 Video Game Console User Manual


 
The closer you get to the mansion, the more you feel the powerful curse. As you enter the first floor of
the house, you stumble through a previously unknown section and become trapped behind a hidden panel.
Now the haunted adventure begins...
Prepare To Be Scared to Death……Again!
The object of the game Return to Haunted House is to find the skull of old man Graves and return it to
the crypt under the cemetery by utilizing various keys and tools to explore the house and avoid the ghosts.
Here is some information to help you understand the objects and characters on the screen, and the
progressive levels of difficulty.
Objects
Skull - The skull of old man Graves is hidden secretly somewhere beneath the mansion in a vast, dark
cavern. Return this wretched skull to the purple crypt to release the town of Spirit Bay from its curse!
Scepter - The scepter will protect you from ghosts. It has been broken by someone or something,
altering its original powers. Now touching a ghost with the scepter banishes it to the nether realms,
hopefully ceasing their haunting forever... If the right difficulty switch is in the “a” position, all ghosts will
flee from the scepter.
If there are four or more objects (including doors) in your area of the house, the power of the scepter
may or may not work. Sometimes you can banish a ghost, sometimes you cannot. However, it is easier to
avoid being killed by a ghost.
Ladder - The ladder will help you climb over the walls into normally unreachable areas and perhaps
some secrets... The ladder cannot be used to pass through any barrier into the next portion, nor can it be
used to move from right to left or left to right over a barrier or wall. It also cannot be used to get past a
locked door. Pick up the ladder the same way you would any other object. Place the ladder across the wall
that you wish to pass over and release it by pushing the red controller button. One end of the ladder may
need to be visible on the lower sides of the wall for it to work. After releasing the ladder, you can then pass
through it to the other side of the wall or barrier. If you should happen to touch the inside of the ladder
while you are passing over the wall, the ladder may cause you to be trapped.
To release yourself, press the red controller button. If, for some reason you should fail and you still
cannot release yourself, press game reset. Use rest as a last resort, especially if you have banished one or
more ghosts.
Dismembered Hand - It is rumored that this hand can mysteriously entice inanimate objects into its
grasp. The hand may try to hinder you with its power. It can remove objects that are stuck in a wall and out
of reach. The hand can also be used to move objects in an adjacent part of the house by putting it in front of
you before entering next room or area.
Keys and Locked Doors - Use the colored keys to unlock the corresponding locked doors to enter
areas deeper under the mansion. Doors can be found with small cross-like locks that can be opened when
touched by the proper key. Old man Graves believed these crosses would keep evil spirits from passing
through the doors. Too bad he neglected to have crosses on his walls, or floors, or ceilings...
The green key unlocks the Storage Area, and the dark key unlocks the Cavern Entrance.
Shovel - Use the shovel to dig up the grave to uncover the mysterious crypt beneath...
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